As a social media star and sports reporter, TikToker Katie Feeney is used to being camera-ready. However, the college student doesn’t feel the need to always be dressed up to the nines; she’s more than happy to go bare-faced, and her millions of followers are totally here for it.
Unlike many other influencers, Feeney’s before-and-after transformation is barely noticeable as she’s already known for her minimal makeup and no-fuss hair in everyday life and on the sidelines. Plus, she’s blessed with a naturally flawless, glowing complexion and glossy hair. Still, everybody loves to feel a little better — or, in Feeney’s case, a little worse — by seeing how different their favorite stars look au natural. She gave her fans just that in June 2024, with a video documenting her get-ready routine. Feeney started with a fresh-out-of-the-shower look, no makeup and wet hair. “How I came in,” the caption read. She then applied foundation, blush, eye shadow, liner, and mascara and styled her hair with a flat iron. And, voilà! Ready for her closeup. “How I left,” the end caption read.
Feeney’s followers shared their thoughts in the post’s comments. “Original was better,” wrote one. “How do you have time to do all this stuff and make videos,” another asked. “First makeup transition that doesn’t completely mislead the real look,” a third decreed. Meanwhile, people were pretty much unanimous about which of Feeney’s looks they preferred.
Feeney’s fans have a beauty preference
Katie Feeney is one of those people who are lucky enough to look great with and without makeup. But her legion of fans have a preference, and for the majority of them, it’s bare-faced Feeney that they vote for. “Original was better,” one commented on her before-and-after transformation video. “Better before,” another wrote. “Am I the only one that prefers the first one,” asked a third.
Feeney regularly posts beauty-related content, covering everything from preventing breakouts to her nighttime skincare routine to makeup tutorials. This is hardly surprising given her influencer status and hundreds of thousands of teen fans eager to soak up advice from their idol. Feeney used her social media fame to springboard into the world of broadcasting, focusing on her favorite subject of all: sports. When she’s not creating beauty and lifestyle videos, the TikTok and YouTube star is on the sidelines and in the middle of all the action, commentating on games and interviewing players. She still gets a front seat to all the action when she’s not working, courtesy of Feeney’s boyfriend, Jack Hurley, a Hillsboro Hops center fielder.
Feeney is living the dream, and she plans to continue doing so after graduation. The Penn State junior is studying broadcast journalism, a subject she’s racking up plenty of experience in, all while creating content for her millions of social media followers.
The future is bright for Katie Feeney
In an interview with Her Campus in September 2023, Katie Feeney opened up about how her life as an influencer allowed her to pursue her passion. “The presence I built on social media across not just TikTok, but especially YouTube and Instagram, opened up so many doors for me,” she explained. “I’ve gotten hands-on experience in both the social media world and broadcast journalism.”
Feeney’s interest in sports developed later in life. She enrolled at Penn State as a business major but swapped subjects after being bitten by the football bug. “It was so unreal: the atmosphere, the students… I knew from that point forward, I needed to pursue something in sports because there really is nothing like it,” Feeney said.
Still, Feeney won’t be turning her back on social media anytime soon. The huge following she’s amassed has presented her with all kinds of opportunities, from NFL commentator to White House correspondent. Plus, it earns her serious bank. Feeney pulled in an astounding $1 million in just five weeks on Snapchat. “I was one of the first on Snapchat spotlight,” she told Jason Tartick in a November 2023 interview. “Which is why I believe I was able to be one of the highest earners. It was truly mindblowing. That was the moment when I realized, Oh, this, like social media, can become a career. I don’t think I really thought that way until I was able to see what the potential is.”
